Battered and Broken
by JohnEgbertAndThePogoRide
Summary: Pename previously Ripped And Tattered. Last and final chapter up, Her Black Knight.
1. Prologue

**Author's note: Err…. Enjoy the story? **

**Disclaimer: I own my imaginary, fire breathing unicorn named Charles….. But that's about it.**

"You bitch!"

Another slap.

"Slutty, good for nothing, whore!"

Another punch to the gut.

"You're lucky I keep taking you back!" Dylan roars at me and gives a blow to the jaw for good measure. I'm doubled over in pain.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I whisper it over and over.

"Sorry ain't enough!" He yelled at me and pulled me up by my throat.

When we were at the grocery store buying food for the week, the cashier at the checkout line tried to flirt with me. Dylan gave the cashier a glare that probably made him crap his pants.

He then pulled me out the store and yelled at me on the ride back to the apartment. When we got back in Dylan's apartment, he yelled at me some more and proceeded to 'punish' me for being such a slut.

Dylan threw me down again then threw a bottle of Captain Morgan's against the wall. It shattered into a thousand pieces. Dylan suddenly snapped out of his angry trance and saw me lying on the floor. He crouched down next to me with tears in his eyes.

"Max, oh my god, Max! I am so sorry baby. Please forgive me." he begged me, pleading with his beautiful blue eyes. It broke my heart once more to see him so sad. I could never say no to him.

"I forgive you," I said softly.

Dylan then picked me up and held me against his chest, kissing the top of my head over and over, saying that he was so sorry, it would never happen again.

But I know that isn't true.

**Ta-Da! Now REVIEW before I kick your butt into next week! ;)**


	2. Discouraged

**Author's Note: Grrrrr… I KNOW people are reading this story so REVIEW! People these days…. :P**

**Disclaimer: Do you think if I was James Patterson I would be writing stories on Fanfiction?**

After that particular episode of pain and forgiveness, Dylan still felt bad so he took me out to my favorite restaurant.

When we got there, he was a total sweetheart. He opened the car door for me, held my hand, kissed my cheek, and pulled out my chair also. Until it was time to order.

The waiter came to our table and asked us what we would like. Dylan said that he would like the Swordfish Special.

"I would like the Tuna Sand-," I began, but Dylan cut me off.

"She's going to have the Garden Salad," he snarled, while glaring at me.

"You always eat way too much, Max," he continued while the frightened waiter scurried off to the kitchen.

"You already weigh too much. You should exercise more and not eat so much. It's disgusting. Normal people don't eat like you do," he growled.

I felt like crying. I didn't eat too much and was fit, at least I thought so. I go for a run every morning too. It wasn't enough for Dylan's standards, apparently.

Soon, the waiter brought over our food. I picked at my limp salad. I wasn't too hungry anymore.

Dylan glanced up from his food and got mad.

"You better eat that salad, Max," he said threateningly."I'm paying for it with my own money that I worked extremely hard to earn."

I quickly put a bite of lettuce in my mouth and swallowed. It felt like glue going down my throat.

When Dylan and I got back to the apartment, he made sit down and watch his favorite movie with him. He then ordered me to get him a can of beer. I went over to the fridge and grabbed him one. When I gave it to him, he started to shout at me.

"What is wrong with you? You know I hate Bud Light! Why the hell did you buy it?"

I was extremely confused. Bud Light was his favorite brand of beer.

"I…. I…. I thought you liked that kind," I whispered.

"You can't do anything right, you good for nothing bitch!" He slapped me across the face. "Go get me some Captain Morgan's!"

I grabbed my keys and ran out the door. Tears were streaming down my face as I drove to the grocery store. I ran inside and grabbed a pack of Captain Morgan's. I rushed back down the aisle, only to crash into someone rounding the corner.

"Oh crap! I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed as I scrambled to pick up the guy's fallen items. I stood up to hand them back to him. I looked at his face to see the person I had run into and was immediately lost in the most amazing I had ever seen.

They were so dark; they were almost obsidian with gold flecks in them. Unlike Dylan's blue eyes that often showed rage or annoyance, his were completely emotionless.

He had long black hair, and olive skin. He wore all black, from shirt, down to his sneakers. Oh god, I sound like such a stalker. I blushed furiously.

"It's fine," he said in a deep, low voice.

I hurried away. Then I felt a hand on my arm. I whirled around. It was the guy I had run into, holding an object in front of me.

"Here," he said, "you dropped your keys."

"Thanks," I said gratefully. "I'm Max."

"Fang." He said briefly.

"So, you like Starbucks?" He asked me, pointed a Starbucks rewards card hanging off my key chain.

I blush again. "Yeah," I say. "Always stop by on the way to work."

Fang half smirks. "Same. Wanna have coffee sometime?" he asks.

"Umm…."

"As friends," he adds.

"Okay, can I have your number?" I ask him.

He takes out his phone.

"Just type it in," he says. And I do.

Then I remember Dylan. Shit.

"Oh crap! I have to go now. Talk to you soon, I guess…."

He nods and I quickly pay for the beer and drive back home. That is, if you can call it that.

When I open the door, I pray to God that Dylan fell asleep, otherwise he is going to be PISSED.

I peek in and almost sigh of relief. Lucky for me, Dylan fell asleep on the couch. Whew.

I quietly put the beer in the fridge and sneak over to the bedroom. I slip on a tee and shorts and soon fall asleep.


	3. Coffee and Chokeholds

**Sorry I haven't updated for awhile.**

I awoke with the sound of my alarm going off. I got up grudgingly and took a cold shower to wake myself up. Not really the best way to wake up, but it works.

I get dressed and walk to the kitchen. I start up a pot of coffee and take some eggs out of the fridge and crack them into a bowl. I whisk them together and throw in some sausage and ham.

I pour the mixture into a greased pan and sit at the counter while sipping some coffee. I turn the omelet over the stove a few minutes later and add some shredded cheese. Dylan loves omelets. I stink at cooking, but I can make a decent omelet. The only other foods I can make are cereal and coffee.

When the omelet's cooked, I slide it onto a plate and put a fork out next to it. I feel arms wrap around my waist.

"Morning beautiful." Dylan whispers into my ear.

"Hey there, handsome," I say back and smile.

He kisses my cheek and sits down at the counter while I keep sipping my coffee.

He quickly finishes his breakfast and puts his plate in the sink. I wash it for him and put it away.

Ever since I moved in with him, I do a lot of housekeeping for him because he has no time because of his job. It leaves him pretty stressed and he sometimes spends the night at the office.

Bye darling," I say to him when I'm done doing dishes. I grab my purse and I'm out the door.

I drive down the street, already clogged with traffic.

I pull into the parking lot of Douglas Elementary School. I walk in and go to my classroom. I teach third grade at this school. I'm pretty young for a teacher, me being only twenty four. Most other teachers are at the least thirty.

I organize some papers on my desk and wait for the bell to ring.

Soon enough, it does, and my students begin to come in.

I smile and greet each of them.

"Good morning Ellen, Roger." And so on.

A sandy haired boy named Zephyr stops at my desk.

"Ariel won't be coming today." He says. "She has the flu."

"Oh, I'm sorry Zephyr. Thank you for letting me know." I smile sadly.

He goes and sits down at his desk.

_Time skip_

I had just finished grading my students' tests when my cell phone rang.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hey, Max. It's Fang. Are we still on for coffee?"

This sounds super corny, but I think my day immediately brightened.

"Of course," I said.

"Wanna meet at the Starbucks on the corner of Boyd Station?" I asked him.

"Sure. Be there at four?"

"Mm-hm." I say.

"See you in a few."

"Bye."

I hang up and a big smile spreads across my face.

I gather up the papers on my desk and put them in a drawer then get my stuff and head out.

I get to Starbucks a few minutes late because of a little traffic.

I walk in and see Fang at a table. He waves me over.

"What would you like to drink?" he asks me.

"I'll have a caramel frappe." I decided.

"I'll pay for it though." I said.

"No, my treat." Fang says.

"You sure?" I ask hesitantly.

"Positive," He says and goes up to order.

He gets his tall, black coffee and my frappe.

"Mmm…" I say when I immediately take a sip of it when he hands it to me.

"Thank you so much," I tell him.

"My pleasure."

A silence follows. But, unlike most silences, this one is not at all awkward.

"So, what do you do for a living?" Fang asks me.

"I teach third grade over at the elementary school," I say.

"And you?"

"I'm a journalist for the paper." He says and takes another sip of his coffee.

We continue to talk for a while about our jobs, then family and such.

Fang has a twin, named Iggy, who looks nothing like him. Pale, strawberry blonde hair.

He also has a sister, Monique, but they call her Nudge because she talks _all_ the time.

I was an only child for most of my life, until my mother adopted Ella. She had long dark hair and chocolate eyes. She is probably the sweetest soul on Earth.

She always put other people's needs before her own.

I glanced at my watch.

It was already six. Wow.

"I better get going," I say.

"Thanks again for the coffee. Want to meet up again sometime?"

Fang and I make plans to go to the park the next day.

We said our good byes and I headed backed to the apartment.

I opened the door and immediately regretted it.

"Where the hell have you been!" Dylan roared at me.

He was already home from work?

"I… I was out with a friend." I told him.

"Tell me next time!" He shouted some more.

"I thought you wouldn't really care." I mumbled softly.

"You are so selfish." He spit at me.

"You only care about yourself and don't give a damn about others. You are a selfish bitch." He continued.

"You should be lucky I am your boyfriend. No one else would take you. You should be more appreciative of how good I've been to you!" He looked at me like I was a piece of trash.

He then slapped me.

I don't know what came over me but I started to scream at him.

"Shut the FUCK UP!" I screamed.

"I am sick of you NAGGING at me all the time! What is the MOTHER FUCKING you have to do this to me ALL THE TIME!LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE YOU ASSHOLE!" I yelled.

A look a fury came upon Dylan's face. With both hands he grabbed my throat and began to throttle me.

I tried to kick him but couldn't. Black dots soon started to cloud my vision. I gathered up what little strength I had left and spit right in his eyes.

He immediately let go of my neck and I dropped like a stone.

I wanted to run out of the apartment so bad, but it was impossible to even try.

My world faded to black.


	4. Tears and Gentlemen

**I****suck at updating my stories…**

_Two arms wrap around and hold me close._

"_I love you," I whisper to the mystery man holding me._

"_Same here," A deep, baritone voice says. Who's holding me?_

_I look up, expecting to see Dylan's Caribbean-blue eyes, but instead see pools of black._

_Fang._

_I stand up one my tiptoes and kiss him, right on the lips. He kisses back gently._

'_What the fuck?!" I hear Dylan scream far away. I don't give a damn._

_I continue to kiss Fang, but he suddenly drops to the floor, his eyes closed. _

_Dylan stands behind him, a crimson covered knife in his hand._

"_No! Fang, NO!" I drop to his side and shake him furiously._

"_C'mon, get up! GET UP!"_

_As the truth sinks in, I shake him even harder. _

"_You can't just fucking leave like that!" Tears are running down my face so fast, I can hardly see out of them._

"_I need you, please come back to me!" I scream._

"_Don't go," I croak._

_I am lifted off the ground and I immediately begin to thrash, wanting to get back to Fang, who looks like he is in a peaceful sleep, going to wake up at any moment and hold me and kiss me and tell me everything's okay._

_But he never will do any of things again._

"_No, Fang!"_

"_Let me go you son of a bitch!"_

_Dylan just tosses me over his shoulder like I'm a sack of potatoes. _

"_Let me go… I need to get to Fang…"_

I wake up sobbing my heart before I realize it was all a dream.

Dylan had been sobbing too. He was sitting on the edge of my bed, his head in his hands; he hadn't noticed me crying, probably because he was too busy doing the same.

His eyes were red and puffy, as well as bloodshot.

He looks over at me and immediately starts to bawl.

"Max? Are you okay? I was so worried! You wouldn't wake up!"

Even after waking up, I can still immediately snap at people. Sound like anyone you know?

"Just peachy, especially after being-", I shut up at once when I see Dylan's big, loving eyes looking at me.

"Oh, Dylan," I say, crying once more, and I grab him and pull him into my arms.

He sobs into my wrinkled shirt.

I kiss his forehead over and over.

"It'll be all right. It's okay." I coo.

Pretty ironic that I am comforting _him_, especially since he just almost _choked me to death._

_Time skip_

Would you like pasta, or do you want stir-fry?" Dylan asks me as I set the table.

"Pasta would be great," I say with feeling.

"Okay babe," he says.

While Dylan is cooking, I check my cell phone.

_2 new texts from: Fang_

_Hey. How r you?_

The next one read:

_Are you okay? U didn't show up for coffee._

Shit. I missed our coffee date, I mean, meeting.

Arg.

I quickly dial his number. He picks up on the 3rd ring.

"Hey, it's Max. Sorry I didn't show up for coffee today. I got sick. I slept most off the day." I tell him. I felt awful lying to him, but I can't tell him the truth. He will be so disgusted with me for being so weak.

"Oh, that's alright. Are you feeling better?" Fang says.

"Yeah," True, but not by much.

"Let's try again tomorrow." I say. "Is five okay? I have a meeting with a student's parents."

"That would be great. See you soon."

"Bye."

I put my phone away right as Dylan walks in.

" Who were you talking too?" he asks.

"Just a friend." I say. We're going to get coffee tomorrow."

He nods then says, "Dinner is ready, m'lady," and holds out his arm.

I giggle and take his hand. "Thank you, kind sir."

**So, how was this chapter? Review even if you just wanna tell me what you had for lunch cuz I have no social life. ;) **

**Over and Out!**


	5. Hospitals and Blow Away Scarves

**Hey! Thank you all for reviewing! It made my day! **

"Hi, Mrs. Walker, how are you today?" I ask Ariel and Zephyr's mother as she takes a seat in front of my tiny teacher's desk.

"Please, call me Anne," Ms. Walker replies sadly.

"As you may have noticed, Ariel hasn't been in school for a while recently. That would be because she was diagnosed last month with ALL, a form of leukemia. She is critical state for we hadn't caught on quickly enough," Anne continued, her voice breaking as well.

My eyes began to water.

"She has been undergoing so much chemotherapy that she is no shape to go to school. She most likely won't be able to finish the school year."

The news sinks in, and I begin to understand her hidden meaning. Ariel, who most affectionately call her Angel, will probably not make it.

Ms. Walker bursts into racking sobs, tears streaming down her face. I find myself sobbing as well.

Angel is the sweetest child on Earth. She always greets everyone with a sunny, heart-melting smile. She looks like a little cherub with her golden curls and big blue eyes.

Zephyr must be devastated. The twins were like best friends and did everything together like playing on the playground or grouping up for projects.

Anne and I just sobbed together over poor Angel, who didn't deserve any of this. But then again, who does?

_Time skip_

I trudged through the snow to Starbucks, wind whipping my hair all over the place. This probably is one of the worst winters in Colorado history. Yuck.

I would have loved to take my warm, cozy, car, but Dylan's was in the shop for new chains on his tires and he needed one to get to work.

I pushed open the door to Starbucks and stomped clumps of snow of my boots.

I then sat down at a table and waited for Fang. I checked the time on my phone.

4:57.

Should be here soon.

And I was right. At precisely one minute before five, he walked in through the door and sat down across from me.

He immediately noticed my red rimmed eyes, being the caring person he is, and asked what was wrong.

I burst into tears again. Everyone in the restaurant turned their heads. So embarrassing but, at that moment in time, I didn't give a shit.

In between choked whispers, I told him the story about Angel.

"I'm so sorry Max. So sorry. Would you like to go visit her? I can drive us over to the hospital." Fang asks in his caring, baritone voice.

I nod, my throat clogged with tears.

He takes my hand and leads me to his car. I get in the passenger's seat and he carefully pulls out of the parking and drives warily through the snow to the Boulder Children's Hospital.

When we get to the reception desk, Fang asks for Ariel Walker's room. The receptionist smiles and tells us she is in room 406.

Before we get in the elevator, Fang and I go to the hospital gift shop and get a stuffed animal for Angel. **Can anyone guess who it is?**

We take the elevator with a sweet old man who is going to visit his wife of 30 years who just had a stroke because of her having Alzheimer's.

My eyes started to tear up again as the man with hair as white as snow recalled his wife with a wrinkly smile.

He got out at the 3rd floor and said good-bye with a smile. How could he be so cheery? I dried my eyes when Fang and I stepped out of the elevator. The last thing I wanted for Angel to see that I had been crying.

She hated to see anyone upset. One of the more things that would make Angel the least worthy out of any to end up like this.

I knocked on Angel's door, which was propped open.

"Come in," Angel's voice rang out, her nose buried deep in a copy of Anne of Green Gables. She was a big fan of the classics and was very bright for an eight year old.

"Hey, Angel," I said softly.

She recognized my voice immediately and perked up. I instantly wanted to cry again. She had an IV tube in her arm and looked so small. Her elbows stuck out and there were dark purple circles under her blue eyes which were somehow, still sparkly with light.

"Hi, Miss Max!" Angel chirped, calling me by the name I told all of my students to call me.

"I came to visit you, and as well as my friend, Fang," I said with a smile, trying to keep brave for Angel.

"Hey Angel," Fang said kindly. "We brought you some company.' He held out the stuffed animal to Angel.

"Thank you!" Angel said hugging the bear, squishing its little wings and halo.

"I'm gonna call her Celeste. She looks like a Celeste, don't you think?"

"She sure does," Fang agreed.

Angel turned to me.

"Miss Max, is Fang your boyfriend?" Angel asked me solemnly.

I smiled. "You, sweetie, can call me Max. And no, Fang isn't my boyfriend."

Angel just said, "Oh."

She then continued. "He likes you like that though, you know. I can tell."

I blushed tomato red. He does? NO! Stop that. Bad Max! You have a boyfriend that you love! Right?

The thing is, I don't know anymore.

"Are you alright?" Fang asked me, looking at me questionably. "You sorta drifted off there."

"Oh, I did? Sorry." I replied, snapping out of it and coming back to Earth.

"Look Max!" Angel said happily. "My mom got me Clue!" I LOVE this game! Wanna play?" **Played this all the time in 3****rd**** grade.**

"Sure!" I said. "Fang, would you like to play?" Fang grinned at Angel.

"I'd love to."

Angel was Miss Peacock, because Angel loved her dress, I was Miss Scarlett, and Fang, much to his distaste, was Ms. White because Angel insisted. She thought it was the funniest thing ever. Fang went along with it, just to make her happy.

We played the game for a long time, until a Nurse came in to check vital signs and other procedures.

"Will you come back soon?" Angel asks hopefully.

"Of course." Fang and I reply.

_Time skip_

Fang and I grab something to eat at the hospital cafeteria then he drives me back to the apartment. Before I enter the building, he hugs me and presses his lips against mine.

Oh. My. God.

My brain short circuits and I melt into the kiss, not thinking twice. All of a sudden, a strong blows and pulls the scarf off my neck and whaps him in the face.

He pulls away to get the scarf off his face and he starts laughing, and I join in. Then he pulls the scarf off his face and freezes.

Shit. The bruise marks.

"Max, who did this to you?" he asks me gently, but his eyes say differently. His cold, black as obsidian eyes look ready to kill.

And as the exact same time I think, _how can my day get any worse?_ The universe just _loves_ to prove me wrong because at that moment, a furious as hell Dylan throws open the door.

"Him."


	6. The Bastard's Escape

Everything turned to slow motion.

Dylan's face turned as purple as a plum and raised his hand, blue eyes flashing. Dylan's hand was about to hit my face when an olive skinned hand stopped it in mid-air.

_Fang's hand._

Dylan smashed his other hand into Fang's gut. Fang doubled over and Dylan took that as a chance to kick Fang on the side of his head. Fang fell to the cement. Dylan practically sat on him, digging his knees into his chest while he took Fang's neck and slammed his head repeatedly into the ground.

"DYLAN! Stop!" I scream.

"You're a MONSTER!"

"Dylan! Leave him ALONE! He was trying to _protect_ me! Something you've _never_ done! You are a FUCKING SICK BASTARD! Leave Fang alone! He didn't do anything! I. Hate. You."

I shove Dylan off Fang and attempt to punch him in the eye. Unfortunately for me, he has a lot more practice fighting, and catches my arm and twists it, _hard._ I hear a _POP!_ Then there is searing pain in my shoulder. _Pain is just a message. Ignore that message._

He then kicks my knee and I fall to the ground, right on Fang's chest. He's out cold.

Waves of guilt pass over me like a storm. It's my entire fault he got so hurt. I barely register that Dylan is now pummeling me.

In the distance, I hear the unmistakable sound of sirens. One of the people in the building must have called the cops. Thank god.

Dylan looks up and sprints out to my car that he haphazardly parked and pulls out of the lot at probably 60 miles an hour. The speed limit for these roads is 40. And it's snowing. I hope he crashes.

Cop cars pull up, as well as an ambulance. Paramedics and cops rush out. One of the cops helps me to my feet and asks what happened.

I probably sound drunk, with my broken lip and feeling sorta woozy after being punched in the stomach.

"My boyfriend attacked m friend and I tried to get him off him, but he got away."

"What's your boyfriend's name?"

"Dylan Guth-," I don't get to finish because I then collapse on the ground again, right on my shoulder.

_*Time skip*_

"_Mmm…" I licked my lips, getting as much cookie batter taste as I can._

_Fang laughs at my reaction to chocolate chip cookie dough._

_I put my hands on my hips and glare at him playfully._

"_Humph." I say and flick of glob of dough onto his shirt._

"_Hey! This shirt's new!" I turn back to mixing the cookie dough that Fang is helping me make, because Max alone in kitchen equals disaster._

_Fang wraps his wiry arms around me and gets flour all over me._

"_Fang! This means war!" I dump a handful of sugar in his perfect hair and then ruffle it for good measure. Fang's eyes flash happily and he smashes an egg on my shoulder. _

_I duck behind one of chairs I used to get ingredients way up high. I throw a chunk of butter at him, which he catches and comes after me with._

"_Oh no." I shake my head. He grabs me by the waist and mushes the butter into my hair, along with some of the cookie dough. The battle continues on for a few minutes until we stop and kiss each other greedily. I run my fingers throw his sugary hair and hold him tight._

"_Ew!" Gazzy walks in the door, coming back in after playing hide and seek outside with Ari, our neighbor next door._

"_Hey Gaz," I grin at him. _

"_Want a hug?" I grin cheekily, holding my arms out to him._

"_No!" He laughs and runs down the hall. I chase after him and grab him up in a hug._

"_Put me down! You're all messy and this is my favorite shirt!" He squeals. _

"_You're just like your father," I tease him. _

"_Wah!" Angel cries from her crib. Whoops! Must've of woke her up while I was going after her older brother._

"_I'll get her." Fang says while ambling into the nursery. He appears soon with four month old Angel in his arms. She miraculously stopped crying and is now happily gurgling. Fang was always much better at calming her down. I named Angel after the sweet little girl in my third grade class who had leukemia, but through some kind of miracle, she pulled through._

"_I've got it all under control," Fang tells me, "You can go take a shower, that is, unless you want me to join you."_

_I kiss his cheek and grin at him._

"_I think you should stop poisoning our children's minds now," I say and saunter off to get all this mess off me._

My eyes snap open, and I am immediately blinded with white light.

"Hey! She's awake!" I hear a light, girly voice say.

"Ella?" I say tiredly.

"Max! How are you feeling? Do you feel okay? Need any pills for the pain?" Ella plops down on the side of my cot, her dark brown hair flowing around her shoulders.

"Ah, meds would be great," I say. Everything hurts _real_ badly.

"Pills? Okay!" she chirps and presses the nurse's button. In a few moments, a nurse comes in, followed by a tall, strawberry blond haired guy who pulls Ella into a hug.

"What do you need?" The nurse asks.

"I would like some pills for the soreness." And then I remember Fang.

"Also," I pipe up, "I have a question. You know Fang Martinez? Tall, dark hair, lots of wounds?"

"Oh him?" The nurse says. "I know the nurse who is looking after him. He is doing that good. He had a bad concussion, and slipped into a small coma, but we expect him to wake up in a day or two."

"Oh." I say and sink farther into my bed sheets. It could've been worse. But it's still really bad. The nurse smiles sadly and leaves. When she leaves, I turn to Ella and Mystery Man.

"Who are you?" I ask him.

"Iggy Walker. I'm Ella's boyfriend."

Ella leans farther into his side. I smile at her and say to Iggy with a scowl, "You hurt her and I will castrate you."

"Wouldn't dream of it.' He says grinning.

Wait a second. Walker. Iggy _Walker._

"Are you, by any chance, related to Angel Walker?"

"Yeah," He says, "I'm her older brother."

I grin widely. "She's in my third grade class." But my smile fell quickly.

"I visited her in the hospital." Iggy smiled ruefully.

"She talks about you a lot, saying you should be Fang's girlfriend, the guy you were asking about."

I blush at that. "Fang had come to visit Angel with me, he's a wonderful guy. Such a gentlemen, Knight in Shining Armor, etc."

The nurse comes in with some pills on a cup as well as some water.

"Here," she says, "These will make you probably fall asleep again, though."

I swallow the pills and chug some water. Immediately, the room starts to fade away.


	7. Grown Men Cry As Well

**Hey y'all. So sorry I haven't been updating for awhile. :/ Not been feeling well. My dog, Max, a collie, Golden Retriever mix of eleven years died. My oldest memory is getting him and our cat at the pet store. He was the best dog ever. Loyal, as protective as a security guarding the president, and a big heart. I miss him.**

_Time skip: 1 week_

"Okay, Miss Ride, you are free to go," Dr. Wells says cheerily, now done with my quick check up before I was discharged from the hospital.

I smile and walk out. I trot down to Fang's room and take a seat on the edge of his bed.

A doctor is doing a quick examination of him too, before he was discharged as well.

"Hey," Fang says, doing that half-smile of his that I love so much. Yes, _love._

I _love _fang. His hair, his eyes, the way he speaks, his dark and mysterious demeanor, and above all, _**Cheesiness alert!**_his heart. And luckily for me, he loves me back. And for that I feel like the luckiest girl alive.

Dylan is no longer a part of my life. The police haven't found him, but I don't think the bastard is ever coming back.

Good news is now over.

Time for the bad news.

Angel is getting progressively worse, if possible. Even the light from her vibrant blue eyes is steadily fading. Ms. Walker has spent all of her time either with Angel or talking with the doctors, well, actually is screaming, demanding them to save her child.

Not that I wouldn't do the same if my child was dying and I couldn't anything to stop it.

There are dark circles around her eyes and looks as frail as a china doll. She is on the edge of an abyss, hanging on with two fingers. She hasn't eaten a crumb for over a week.

I visit her as much as I can, from dawn to dusk, keeping Ms. Walker company as she keeps vigil as Angel takes one of her frequent naps. The child is surrounded by IV poles, balloons, a heart monitor, a shunt on her hand for drawing blood, flowers, cards, games and other gifts.

Angel is quite popular. Not too hard to see why.

"Max? You okay?" I turn to the sound of the voice. Fang's worried face looks back at me.

"Mmhm," I say, coming back to the present, I wrap my arms around him carefully and hug him gently, not wanting to hurt his already sensitive ribs. He hugs me back and says that we can leave now.

"'Kay, I gotta see Angel first," I say, standing up and taking Fang's hand and guide him to the tunnel connecting the adult's hospital to the Children's and then to the elevator. We get off on the fourth floor and Fang and I walk towards her wing. Right outside of it, Iggy and Ella are arguing. No, a screaming match more like it.

"You need to see her!" Ella half screams at him.

"She's always asking about you! She misses you, god dammit!"

"I can't! I hate to see her covered with needles piercing her skin! I don't were she begins or ends!"

"Grow some balls, will you? She _fucking needs to see her asshole of a brother!"_ Ella shouts, furious. She looks ready to rip out Iggy's throat.

"I, I…" Iggy mumbles then, unbelievably, starts to bawl. Ella gathers him in her tan arms, rubbing his back, a habit she picked up from our mother. He sobs into her green shirt.

I start to cry as well, and I see big, fat tears in Ells' eyes that she dares not let fall. I try to suck it, be brave, and barely succeed.

Iggy pulls back from Ella and takes her hand and says, "Let's go see Angel," Ella smiles at him ruefully as Fang puts his hand on the small of my back and guides me this time, following Iggy and Ella into Angel's wing and her into her room. What a weird group we make. Almost all snuffly nosed, red rimmed eyes, and smiles on our faces, just for Angel, who just feel worse if people were sad.

Our procession plodded into Angel's room, single file. Ms. Walker, who was sitting on a corner of Angel's room, looked up at our group and managed a weak smile.

Angel looked up from her limp curls and saw Iggy at the front of the line. Her snow white face immediately brightened and managed a weak whisper of "Iggy."

I think every single one of us lost it right then, including Fang, my rock.

Iggy walked slowly over to her cot and sat down softly and just looked at Angel for a second, before gathering up the poor thing in gentle as a lullaby like hug. Angel wrapped her twig like arms around Iggy's torso and held on for a long, long time. Big fat, tear drops cascaded down her sunken in cheeks, which were once rosy and her limp curls once bouncing like no tomorrow.

Forget your Titanic; forget your Notebook, your Forrest Gump. You want a sob wreaking, gasping for breath movie? Just look Hospital Room number 406, Children's Intensive Care Wing, Boulder Children's Hospital.

Iggy and Angel continued to hug for hours, both clinging for dear life. Gazzy, Angel's identical twin had come in at some point and joined his mother on one of the hard plastic chairs. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. We would've stayed there till closing if it hadn't been for Angel falling into a peaceful sleep. Iggy set her down on the bed and pulled up the crisp white sheets to her chest and kissed her forehead. Everyone formed a line to bid her good night. Once it was my turn, I whispered in her ear as I bent to kiss her chilled cheek, "I'm with Fang now," I could've sworn I saw a ghost of a smile flash across her face before it was gone, just like that.

_Time skip_

Fang kissed the tears away from my eyes as we sat on the couch of the apartment he shared with a roommate, whose name was Sam.

I turned to him and pulled his face to mine before kissing him softly before pulling back. But Fang wasn't going to let that happen. He pulled me back in and caressed my cheek with his hand.

Suddenly, as if a switch had flicked on inside of me, I began to kiss him forcefully, desperate to keep him as close as possible. His eyes widened in surprise before matching my pace. He lowered me onto the couch and moved his from mine and left sloppy kisses down my neck, suckling and nibbling, most likely leaving a hickey or two. His mouth moved back to mine and I let his tongue explore my mouth obligingly.

I grabbed the hem of my shirt but was stopped by Fang's hand, covering my own. He looked into my brown eyes with his coal black ones before asking, "Are you sure?"

I answered with another kiss and fang scooped me up and carried me bridle style over to his room and set me down on his bed gently, before he closed the door.


	8. Forevermore

**This is the last chapter whenever you like it or not. Here goes!**

Fang took his ear away from the phone, after what felt like hours and hours. Fang's eyes were red rimmed. _Fang never cries. Never._

He opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. He manages to mouth one single word. Specifically, a name.

My stomach floors the ground. I grab my keys and am out the door before Fang could blink. On the way out to Fang's car, my feet slam and hit every single rock and clump of ice. Only then do I realize I forgot my shoes. Don't care. I have no coherent thoughts whatsoever. Just one country consuming, tsunami like feeling of despair.

I try and throw open the door, but my hand is blocked by Fang's arm.

"Let me drive." He says, his obsidian eyes glassy with unshed tears. I robotically nod, barely moving my neck.

I get in the passenger seat and Fang pulls out of the parking at a speed I associate with a snail. I fight back the urge to reach over and stomp on the gas. Not much use getting into a crash.

Fang carefully drives to the hospital, watching out for ice. When we get to the parking lot, there are hardly any spaces left, so Fang parks almost on top of a motorcycle. We both scramble out so fast it would've gave you get whiplash just watching us. When inside, after seeing our panicked faces, the receptionist let us go with no questions asked.

We ran, to put it in simpler terms, like it was the apocalypse. And in our world, it basically was. I felt that if we got there fast enough, it would stop Angel from dying. But nobody as that kind of power.

We ditched the crowd of people at the elevator and took the stairs. Right, left, right, left. It's all I can do to make sure I do not trip, even though Fang would be there to catch me.

As soon as we reach Angel's room, we collapse on the floor at the foot of her bed. Ella and Iggy are already there, considering Iggy practically lives at Angel's side now. Ella always is right behind him.

The quivering beep of Angel's heart monitor is the only sound that is heard. Angel is in a trance like sleep, so pale and so still, she already looks dead. _Dead._ There's that word again. That word I hate with such a loathing, I would run myself through before hearing it again.

A sullen, silently sobbing Gazzy is standing beside his ashen faced mother. Iggy is standing rigid, like one of those marble statues and Ella is in shock too.

A doctor comes in, his face wallowing and dreary.

"She only has an hour left." He says. "My deepest condolences. She was the sweetest child." He finishes and trods out of the room. Everyone breaks into mournful, keening sobs. Including Fang.

One by one, each of us goes up to Angel and kisses her lightly on the cheek or forehead.

"You were the best sister ever." Gazzy chokes out. "Not all prissy and snotty like all other girls. You're the best Angel."

Angel's mother goes next.

"Goodbye, my love. You're in my heart and mind always and forever." She sobs and backs away after giving Angel's cheek a kiss farewell.

Ella and Iggy go up together, Iggy leaning on Ella for support.

"Oh, Angel," he says. "I remember the day you were born. I got called down to the office during class. A doctor told that you and Gazzy were born. I ran out of school as fast as my legs would carry me, all the way to the hospital. You looked a cherub descended from heaven. Your head already was covered in downy hair."

Iggy kissed her on the forehead and so did Ella, who tried to speak, but couldn't.

I was next.

"Angel, I know teachers are supposed to play favorites, but you, Angel, beat all other kids in the whole _world,_ by a landslide," I choke through my tears. I give her a kiss than stand back up as Fang gives his good bye.

Soon enough, the time does come. Angel's heart beats slower and slower. Ella sobs into Iggy's shoulder while he stares blankly at the wall Angel covered in pictures.

_Three._

Gazzy howls into his hands.

_Two._

You can see Ms. Walker's heart breaking for the millionth time.

_One._

A steady drone follows.

All of a sudden, Gazzy snaps in half. He jumps up over to Angel and starts to shake her.

"NO! WAKE UP! WHY WON'T YOU WAKE UP?! I HATE YOU!" He screams at her. Fang tries to pull him away but Gazzy is too far gone. He pushes the monitor to the floor. The screen shatters and glass is strewn across the room.

He flips over a table beside Angel's hospital bed and then collapses on the floor, gut wrenching sobs breaking out of his chest.

Suddenly, just like Gazzy, I snap. Just in a much different way. I run.

I run and run and run. I run out of the building, across the street and to the park. I collapse in front of a tree, and sob my heart out. I cry and cry and cry. My tears stain the ground surrounding me, my hot tears burn holes through the snow.

Snowflakes drift around me, soon covering, my bare and blue tinged feet. My gloveless fingers turn blue ever so slowly. And I'm actually glad for that. Maybe I'll die out here. Right along with my broken heart.

Fang's beautiful face flashes before my eyes. Fang. Gotta stay alive for Fang. My only reason. I struggle to my feet and fall down again. An arm grabs me and pulls me out of the snow. My heart soars. Fang found me! He'll bring me home!

I look up, expecting Fang's dark eyes to look into mine. But my brown eyes are instead met with ice blue ones.

_Dylan._

I try to struggle, but there no use. My limbs are stiff and I feel numb all over.

I'm just going to sleep now. Sleep sounds good. I'll wake up and Fang will be there with some hot cocoa. That'd be nice. I smile serenely at the thought of that.

Now just to close my eyes…

_Fine._


	9. Question for Y'all

Hey y'all. I was thinking. Would you guys like it if I did a remake or at least wrote an epilogue?

Let me know, okay? A remake would be a lot better and longer, for my writing has definitely improved since I started Battered and Broken. Bye for now, R&T.


	10. Her Black Knight

**Previously known as Ripped and Tattered. My penname, I mean.**

"Goddammit. Where the hell are you, Max?" I yelled into the blizzard.

She just ran. No words of parting, no full-out sobbing or equipment demolishing, as the Gasman had done. None of it, she just took off, just like when I kissed her for the first time in the hospital. I had just woken up from my mini-coma and I just saw her angelic face. And I kissed her. Full on the lips.

It wasn't like she didn't like it. That woman is a real teeth banger, all right.

The thing is, I love Max. Ever since that day at the supermarket. I just instantly fell in love with her smile, her warm brown eyes, and how she moved like a world-class ballet dancer. I love her laugh, her strength, and how she always fights through everything. She fought through the pain of her abuse, Dylan leaving her, bloody and beaten. Until now. She couldn't handle losing Angel. She was a friend to her, no matter how outrageous the age difference.

To Angel, Max wasn't just a teacher. She was like her long-lost aunt, a second mother even. It sounds odd, I know. Max looked out for her. And she, in turn, looked out for Max. I do think Angel, on some level, knew Max was stuck. She could see the sadness behind her cheerful eyes when she smiled and greeted the students. She was very, very smart. She figured it out, all on her own. I talked to her once, without Max. I had gone to visit her in the hospital after work one day. She showed the books her mother had bought her to read. Among them were several classics, like Moby Dick, the BFG, and even Shakespeare, A Mid-Summer Night's Dream, and Hamlet. Before I left she asked me something.

_Flashback_

"Hey, Fang?" Angel's voiced piped up as I was about to walk out.

I turned. "Yes?"

"Look after Max when I'm gone, okay? She'll need you." Angel looked down at her fragile hands.

I really did want to tell her it would be alright, she would make it, but she and I both knew that was a lie. She had terminal cancer, she was going to die. So I did the only thing I could do.

"I will, promise." I told her softly, only loud enough for her to hear.

The snow blinded my vision, you couldn't see four inches in front of your face. I needed to find Max, fast, or she would die out here, out in the snowstorm. I would die, too, without Max. She was my world now.

"Max! MAX!"

I couldn't admit to myself that it was a lost case. I'd never find her in this weather. But I just had to. She had to live.

"MAX! Where are you?!"

"I need you," I said quietly.

"But, the question is, does she need you?" A cold voice sneered. _Click. _I felt something colder than the air around me pressed against the back of my head.

I have only encountered the owner of that voice once before, and it wasn't that pleasant, considering I was landed in the hospital with a minor coma.

"Any last words, _Fang?_"

"In the matter of fact, _Dylan,_ I sure do._"_

_"Fuck you."_

I heard a _CRACK _and down I fell, into the snow.

**That's the end. I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for all your support, I couldn't have done it without you all.**


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